Women: Reproductive Health Act a tough lift for GOP

Perhaps the most dramatic rhetorical moment in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2013 State of the State address came in the last act, when the governor’s point-by-point list of women’s rights proposals arrived at his call for passage of the Reproductive Health Act. As Rick noted, Cuomo fairly thundered that “It’s her body! It’s her choice!” as supporters rose to applaud.

State Conservative Party chair Mike Long was less moved — though perhaps that was the point, since most things that annoy Long would probably be A-OK with the progressive base that Cuomo seemed to be appealing to in the speech.

“This was not about New York. This was about his going home to his liberal roots in Washington, D.C.,” Long said. “He kicked off his presidential campaign.”

You mean the presidential campaign that just might involve Secretary of State and former U.S. senator from New York Hillary Clinton, a noted woman?

The Reproductive Health Act, which puts Roe v. Wade protections in statute, has long been a central initiative for state Democrats — although the Senate version failed to see it passed during their 2009-10 majority, in part due to the staunch opposition of Ruben Diaz Sr. It came up almost exactly a year ago amid the controversy over the GOP’s decision to bowdlerize a Democratic resolution calling on the governor to commemorate “Reproductive Rights and Justice Week.”

Like a boost to the minimum wage, it’s likely to be one of those items that tests the ability of the Independent Democratic Conference — including another noted woman, Diane Savino — to put items on the floor that would be exceedingly likely to pass.

Other proposals in Cuomo’s women’s rights agenda included:

Extending the ability of a worker to file a sexual harassment complaint even if a business has fewer than four employees — a category that includes more than 60 percent of New York’s private employers.

Adjusting legal protections to make it easier for a plaintiff to secure attorney’s fees in cases of employment or credit/lending discrimination.

Strengthening human trafficking and order of protection laws, and changing state law to discourage discrimination against pregnant women and heads of households receiving vouchers for housing assistance — 76 percent of whom are women.